The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-01-20
EXCHANGING VIEWS.
MEETING: OF THE FARMERS AND
THE AGRICULTURAL BOARD.
representative Planters Talk Over the
Condition of Things in General and
the Agricultural DeDartmeu

4 very crcdtable gathering of some Of
the most prosperous OF our North Caro-
lima planters met in the Hall OF the
House of Representative, on Tuesday
evening last. II was a representative
body of the most sturdy and progreS-
sive element of our sous of toll They
took their seats in the Legislative Hall
crowdcl /. not with men who looked
at loss for something to say or do.
but with an intelligent looking class
of men who knew something about asri-
cultural pursuits and the practical instead
of the theoretical side of farm work
Mr.. e. L. French, Of Pender. was there
and was made Chairman of the meeting,
and an excellent Chairman he made.
DR.. Sanderiin, of Wayne, one of the
banner farmers Of the State. who is also
an eminent divine and ii most excellent
gentleman, was there as genial and as jo-
vial as ever. Mr.. 5. NJ. Stone, an enthu-
siastic, wellinfOrmed eX-COnfederate far
mer of Franklin county, was there. Mr..
G. j. freeman, prosperous richmond
county farmer, together with number of
others from the Pee Dee section, honoresl
the meeting with their presence Mr.. Nat
Atkinson and Mr. W NJ. Nettlcs. two
prominent fruit growers and truck farm
ers, and several others from up where lux
uriant plants cling to the sides OF the
sloping Leaks of the Blue Ridge, came
and brought their views aith them. Col.
Julian Allen was an interested listener
and if anybody got any benefit from the
speeches Col. Allen was the man
The meeting was called to order by Gov.
Scales, Chairman cx of1iciO of the Board of
Agriculture. He made d short speech,
saying that the Board had called this
meeting to give the farmers an opportu
nifty of expressing themselves and OF max
ing whatever suggestions they saw proper
in reference to the future work of the
Agricultural Department. After paying
a handsome compliment to the far,uers,
he proposed for Chairman Of the meeting
Col Geo L. French, of Pender. On tax
ing the chair Col. French reviewed briefly
the work of the Department. saying that
in his opinion it had been of great benefit
TO North Carolina.
Mr.. S. NJ. Stone must have eSpled some
rolls of manuscript containing long tire
some speeches, for the first thing he did
was to move to limit the speeches to 10
minutes.
Col. Allen was fonder of long speeches
than MIR Stone, and offered an amend
ment making the time Is minutes instead
of 10. The amendment was adopted.
Mr.. A. I.eazar was first called uTon and
in response made, in that eloquent and i'm
pressive manner characteristic Of tl;is
thoughtful and honest public-spirited man,
and instructive.
DR.. Battle was the next speaker.
Col Allen knew that Or. Battle could
not tell all he knew in fifteen minutes, So
he moved in advance that the DR.. be al
lowed double time
Or. Battle began and made strong 30
minutes speech in support of the Board of
Agriculture. He pointed to the oyster
surveys, the phosphate surveys, the fish
industries and the advantages derived by
the farmers from the chemical station, as
the wholesome results of the Department.
The DR.. spoke hurredly but fluently and
was listened to attentively until his thirty
minutes expired.
Col. ". F. Green was the next speaker.
Before he began he wished to know if the
gentleman was going to insist on his o
minute rule. One gentleman rerlied that
there were a number of farmers present
who would like to speak, but if the mem
| bers Of the Board were going to consume
all the time then they had just as we'll &c
home. The Col. was promised an exten-
sion of time, and, advancing to the front
began his speech, which was also an argu
| ment wholly in defence of the Depart
ment. He said that adverse criticisms OF
! extravaganza had been made against the
Department. Newspaper writer's had been
through the Department and charged
| against DR.. Dabneys department such ex-
| travagant expenditures as the purchase
of wisp broom. He said he would take
this occasion to correct the newspaper
man and inform him that he was wrong
! in. 10
| Dabney buy that broom to brush off his
own clothes? No; but he had to have
! such things in his department.
| He alluded to another item and sale
! that the people had been told that the
| Department had bought powder and shot
| The inference was that the officers of the
| Department had been buying these thing!
! for their own sport, but not so. These
things had been bought to keep fowls
beasts, musk-rats and other wild animals
from eating up the little fish out at tn,
fish pond near Raleigh.
| Other things of a like nature had beer
brought against the Department, but the,
were too ridiculous and too frivolous t.
notice. and he would not notice them fur
ther.
The Board had done much for Nortl
Carolina. 1t had advertised it to tn
seek homes here. Tire Boston exh bit, th
New Orleans exhibit and the North Caro-
lima exhibit was gone over again for tn
one thousandth time.
The Colonel occupied more than hi
| time but when called to order was grantee
longer lease of time by the audience be
cause while they did not agree with all h
said, they heard him with interest becaus
hefspeaks we'll and entertains his hearers
He touched on the Industrial school an
thought it proper that this meeting shoul
suggest to the Legislature the advisabilit
of the Board expending all its money owe
and above what it takes for actual curren
expenses for the maintenance of this ir
stitution. There were different opinion
regarding this institution. He believe
that it was an important institution an
if properly managed would redown to tn
glory Of the State
Col. Julian Allenski with the ski lei
off was called on. He had been mad
proud three times in his life: One tim
when he landed at New Orleans from Ru
sia; again when he became a citizen of tt
Old North State; and again when he b,
came a farmer.
He offered the following resolution
which was adopted:
, Resolved, That the Legislature be r,
quested to take steps to encourage imm
grafton by authorizing the publication an
circulation of information relating to tt
resources of that and the experiences
the northern settlers here
Mr.. S. Otho Wilson was the next speal
er who obtained the floor, and he ha
hor cfo rf.,6 hafo ~.